State moves HC to cancel bail granted to Paulson Joseph

Oct 17, 2012, 06:47 IST
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Samarth Moray

The State has moved the Bombay High Court seeking to cancel the bail of Paulson Joseph Palitra, who is an accused in the murder of Arif Abubakar Sayyed, Iqbal Kaskar's driver. On July 18, Paulson was granted bail by Special Judge Prithviraj Chavan.

Paulson is also an accused in MiD DAY journalist J Dey’s murder.

Additional Public Prosecutor MM Deshmukh moved the application, which is likely to be heard on Monday before a division bench of justices VM Kanade and PD Kode. The prosecution’s contention is that Paulson, a former NCP politician who is an alleged member of the Chhota Rajan syndicate, had supplied international SIM cards to the killers involved in both murders.

As per a statement provided by Ravi Ram Rattesar, one of Rajan’s aides, Paulson acquired the SIM cards from Dubai. While SIM card number 447924557105 was found with Umed Ur Rehaman Shaikh, one of those arrested in Sayyed’s murder, SIM card number 447924557108 was used by Satish Kalia, allegedly the main shooter in Dey’s murder.

According to the police, both SIM cards were used to keep in touch with Rajan and form a set of 10 SIM cards purchased in Dubai. They were then picked and delivered to Paulson by his driver, Ashok Kunder.

The murder On May 17, 2011 at about 9.30 pm, two shooters, Indralal Khatri and Bilal Mustafa Ali Sayyed had shot Abubakar outside the main gate of Kaskar’s building at Pakmodia Street. Incidentally, two bystanders were also killed when the hit was carried out.